Hi Guys,
As promised, here I am, with my top picks for the Bookish Bingo. But before we begin with the list, let me take this opportunity to thank each one of you, who came up with so many wonderful recommendations. I have been browsing through these books – some familiar and some new to me, and this exercise has broadened my horizons, which was exactly what I wanted to achieve through this. So, once again, thank you. 🙂
3 things to note (bear with me, please) –
1. The top 3 genres that I read are – Contemporary Fiction, Indian Historical Fiction and Non Fiction. I am fully aware that these genres are not represented on the Bingo Board. The main reason for this is that these books find their way into my reading list anyway; I don’t necessarily need to make them a goal.
Also, some people have mentioned that I might not get the time to read my favorite genres, if I set such an ambitious goal outside of these genres. To answer that – yes, I am aware of the possibility, but I am not overly concerned. Mostly because, non-fiction is kind of covered in the picks below, and I also have a couple of Malcolm Gladwell books that are on my shelf (but not covered in Bingo), along with Jaya & My Gita by Devdutt Pattanaik, which I will certainly get to in 2016. That leaves contemporaries, and this is one genre that I am fine letting go of this year. If I am able to read some books in this genre – that’s great. If not – that’s fine too. I will just go with the flow on this one.
2. There are some categories that overlap, and I have picked the same book for them (Pride & Prejudice – as a classic* as well as ‘a book that was written over a 100 years ago’). However, in some cases, I have picked distinct books, in-spite of the overlap (Pride & Prejudice would have made the cut for Historical Romance too, but I really want to read Outlander, so there it is).
Also, there are some categories where I have picked multiple books (Audiobooks – BossyPants and Yes Please). And yes, reading even a single book from that list will check off that category, but I want to have enough options.
3. Finally – this list is made mostly on the basis of 2 things
- Books that I have been wanting to read since forever
- Your Recommendations
I have looked up the blurb, ratings and reviews for all of them, and that is why they made the list. So I am positive that I am going to read every single one of them.
Some books that overlap might be pushed into the first half of 2017 (which is too far away to even think about; so as of now, I will hang on to my optimism), but the point is that I intend to get to all of them.
I am hoping that on/before 31st Dec 2016 – I am able to call out BINGO! 🙂
Now, having given that extremely long introduction, finally, here are my picks –
- An American Classic – To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee ; Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen*
- A book that was written over a 100 years ago- Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen
- A book and its prequel – To Kill a Mockingbird & Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee
- A book over 500 pages- Outlander (Book #1) by Diana Gabaldon *896 pages
- Historical Romance – Outlander (Book #1) by Diana Gabaldon
- A mystery/thriller – The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
- A book which has its movie adaptation releasing in 2016 – The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins; Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them by J.K. Rowling
- A book by an author new to me (Colleen Hoover) – November 9 by Colleen Hoover
- Give second chance to an author (John Green) – Looking for Alaska by John Green
- Start & Finish a Book Series – The Raven Cycle Series by Maggie Stiefvater
- A book released in 2016 – The Raven King (Last book in The Raven Cycle Series) by Maggie Stiefvater
- A book about Writing- Bird by Bird by Ann Lamott
- Listen to an Audiobook- Bossypants by Tina Fey; Yes Please by Amy Poehler
- A book set in the future- The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins; Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury; Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
- Paranormal Romance – Twilight by Stephenie Meyer; Siren’s Secret (Dark Seas Book #1) by Debbie Herbert
- A mental health memoir- An Unquiet Mind by Kay Redfield Jamison; Brain on Fire by Susannah Cahalan
- A book on American Politics – Crippled America by Donald Trump; Hard Choices by Hilary Clinton; Stealing America by Dinesh D’Souza; Killing Reagan by Bill O’ Reilly & Martin Dugard
- A book that involves/revolves around World War 2- The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank; The Book Thief by Makus Zusak
- A book which teaches me a new skill: Food Photography – Plate to Pixel by Helen Dujardin
- A book based on a mythology new to me: Greek Mythology – Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan
- A Fairy Tale adaptation: Cinderella – Cinder by Marissa Meyer ; Beauty & The Beast – A Court of Thorns & Roses by Sarah J. Mass
- Explore a genre out of my comfort zone + A book recommended by a friend
Dystopian- The Ruby Iyer Series by Laxmi Hariharan ( Inderpreet)
Horror/Sci-fi – The Dark Tower Series by Stephen King ( Sreesha)
Sci-fi/Adventure- Have Spacesuit Will Travel by Robert Heinlein (TF Carthick)
Fantasy – The Kingkiller Chronicle by Patrick Rothfuss (Nidhi)
- Re-read a book / series – I am keeping this open. *Note to self – This is NOT an excuse to read Harry Potter again. Read anything EXCEPT Harry Potter.*
Other interesting recommendations that I found from you guys –
- A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry
- Have Pen, Will Travel by M.J. Akbar
- To Cancer, With Love by Neelam Kumar
Thank you – Tulika, Sreesha, Parul, Kala, Shubhangi, Inderpreet, Nidhi, Sanch, Hema & TF Carthick for all your suggestions.
*I realize that Pride & Prejudice is a British Classic, but I am going with it, as I intend to read To Kill a Mockingbird anyway, and that satisfies the condition of ‘An American Classic’.
I would love to hear from you guys. Have you read any of these books? Would love to hear your thoughts ( no spoilers please). If any of you have spoiler free reviews of these books, please drop a link to the review in the comments. I will be sure to check them out.
P.S. Will be updating my progress all through the year on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram.
P.P.S. Some of you have asked if you can re-use the Bingo image. The answer is – yes, please do (a link back would be great).
Shalini
Cool! I haven’t read many from your list. Would love to sort and read them. Loved this fab idea of Bingo! 🙂
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Shanaya Tales
Thank you so much, Shalini. 🙂
Shanaya Tales recently posted…The Trouble with Rating Books | Diary of a Book Blogger
Avada Kedavra
I love many books from your list. Even I plan the books that I am going to read in a year, but most of the times I dont stick as I get tempted to read something else. I am planning to read more sci-fi classics this year. Let’s see if it works out.
Shanaya Tales
Yeah, the same here. I almost always get distracted by the new and shiny thing. That is why I outlined my broad goals, and kept the books tentative. However, a list like this helps me plan the books I need to get from the library, and also helps me pick my next read if I am stuck. 🙂
Shanaya Tales recently posted…The Trouble with Rating Books | Diary of a Book Blogger
Soumya
Oh wow, how organized are you? I just finished a book and I’m not too sure what to read next 😛
And the concept is super awesome. But I think you should think twice about reading ‘Twilight’ though.
Soumya recently posted…Watch Your Back
Shanaya Tales
Yeah, I have read mixed reviews about Twilight, but like I said in my reply to Sreesha – I have pretty low expectations, as it only really needs to fulfill the role of fluff (which is not a challenging role at all). 😉
Shanaya Tales recently posted…The books I picked for Bookish Bingo
Aditi
Wow! What a list…there are so many books here that I haven’t read. I hope you like ‘Looking for Alaska’ that’s the only book I’ve read of John Green’s. And do read Rohinton Mistry’s ‘A Fine Balance’…one of my favourite by an Indian author. I’m sure you’ll like it.
Aditi recently posted…Exploring Amsterdam on Foot #TravelDiaries #blogchatter
Shanaya Tales
Yeah, after reading the blurb and the reviews for all his books – Looking for Alaska seemed like the best fit for me.
Good to know you liked it. 🙂
I have read The Fault in our Stars (and reviewed it too) – I had some big issues with the book, but I do like his writing style, so thought about giving him another go.
Shanaya Tales recently posted…The books I picked for Bookish Bingo
Sreesha
Oh Wow! What a list. I’ll share my spoiler-free reviews on FB as requested 🙂 There are few others I’ve read but not reviewed, but I like all your choices, especially The Book Thief. Not a huge fan of Twilight, cos it’s a very watered down series, loose plot. Hey for American classic, do read Gone With The Wind if you haven’t yet.
PS: I am stealing your Bookish Bingo genres 😛
Sreesha recently posted…Of The Empaths – Final Part
Shanaya Tales
Hehehe..please do. 😛
I have heard mixed reviews about Twilight. Very extreme ones. I usually don’t expect a whole lot from such books; mostly because they serve a specific purpose in my reading – the play the role of fluff (light, mindless reading) between 2 dense books. So, as long as pedestrian writing is the only issue, I think it will fine, as my expectations are pretty low. 🙂
The Book Thief – I just cannot wait! 😀
Shanaya Tales recently posted…The books I picked for Bookish Bingo
Tessy S M
Brilliant book review. Absolutely wonderful list. All book lovers must bookmark this post…!
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Shanaya Tales
Thank you so much, Tessy. Glad you liked it. 🙂
Shanaya Tales recently posted…The books I picked for Bookish Bingo
Inderpreet Kaur
Wow!!Thanks a ton for choosing my recommendations! Also I am so impressed with your dedication to the Bingo. My best wishes to you for this.
With Twilight you cannot stop at the first book, you would have to read all of them, I remember there were 4 or 5 books and I read them all nonstop !! 😀 She has written another book but I could not read it..
Here is my review of GO set a watchman – it is a good book, easy read and well written. I am unable to paste the link here .. please visit http://www.tell-a-tale.com/book-review-go-set-a-watchman-by-harper-lee/
Hard choices, I have just read a quarter but I am enjoying it. Lack of time is stopping me, I am reading her first book too – she has a strong crisp voice.
I too will be reading a few of these books this year , will update you when I do.
Inderpreet Kaur recently posted…This Little President: A Presidential Primer” by Joan Holub and Daniel Roode.
Shanaya Tales
Oh yes, I have heard that Twilight is pretty addictive. I have the books from quite some time. I am just waiting for the right time – which is between two dense books. 😛 I save the lighter reads (which I am assuming this is) for those occasions.
Please do let me know if you get a chance to read any of the books I mentioned. Would be wonderful to catch up.
P.S. Read your review of Go Set A Watchman. Very excited to read it next, as I am currently reading To Kill A Mockingbird.
Shanaya Tales recently posted…The books I picked for Bookish Bingo
Tarang Sinha
Oh, this is a wonderful and unique idea and list too!
I tried to read Twilight and then, Robert Pattinson’s face flashed in my mind (constantly) and finally, gave up! I read Xcess Baggage by Varsha Dixit, I liked it!
Recently, while experimenting with the genres, mythology came as a pleasant surprise! Loved The Palace of Illusions by Chitra Banerjee. Plan to read some more. Any recommendations in mythology?
Tarang Sinha recently posted…Book Review: The Palace of Illusions by Chitra Divakaruni
Shanaya Tales
I haven’t read Twilight or seen the movie. I have heard a lot about the book though – both good and bad. As far as pedestrian writing goes, I can deal with it, as long as it is the only issue, and the story is captivating enough. Whenever I need some mindless reading (typically between heavier, denser books), I go for fluff like Twilight.
And yes, I loved The Palace of Illusions too. I am currently reading Jaya,which I am enjoying, but it is still a WIP. The others that I have read are not very remarkable , but I am too demanding of a reader when it comes to mythology. 😛
P.S. I have reviewed Pradyumna on the blog. I had a couple of issues with it, but the author has told me that the book has gone through another edit afterwards, so those issues might have been fixed. Overall – it’s a decent read.
Shanaya Tales recently posted…The books I picked for Bookish Bingo
T F Carthick
Nice varied list. Don’t think I will have discipline to define a list and stick to it – will take things as they come.
Shanaya Tales
Yep. Whatever works. To each his own! 🙂
Thanks for the recommendations. 🙂
Shanaya Tales recently posted…The books I picked for Bookish Bingo
Beloo Mehra
You have made quite a wide range of selections there! All the best for your reading bingo 🙂 I have read Diary of a Young Girl, and of course Pride and Prejudice from the list you share. I did read some book by Dinesh D’ Souza many years ago, not the one you mention. But have no interest in reading him any more 🙂 And half of Mistry’s A Fine Balance, for some reason never completed it.
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Shanaya Tales
Hmm..have never read Dinesh D’Souza. Thanks for the heads up. Will investigate. 🙂
Shanaya Tales recently posted…The books I picked for Bookish Bingo
Parul
Wow! So good to see this come together. I am glad Anne Frank made it to the list 🙂
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Shanaya Tales
Thank you for the recommendation, Parul. 🙂
Shanaya Tales recently posted…The books I picked for Bookish Bingo
kala
Wow! That is an impressive list! Happy reading days ahead! Looking forward to your reviews on the same 🙂
Shanaya Tales
Thank you so much, Kala. 🙂
Shanaya Tales recently posted…The books I picked for Bookish Bingo
Rachna
Wow, what an exhaustive list! I have read Twilight, Diary of Anne Frank from this list. You are doing such a methodical job of this. Good luck, Shantala
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Shanaya Tales
Thank you so much, Rachna. 🙂
How did you find both those books?
Shanaya Tales recently posted…The books I picked for Bookish Bingo
Shilpa Gupte
Shantala, now when I go.to the book store,I am simply going to log on to your blog, and buy the books you have mentioned here. Thank you sweetie! ?❤
Shilpa Gupte recently posted…Little angels.
Shanaya Tales
That is so nice to hear. You are so sweet. I will ensure to put up reviews, and link them too. 🙂
Shanaya Tales recently posted…The books I picked for Bookish Bingo
Uma
What an interesting concept! Book Bingo..never heard of it before. This year I joined in the #100bookpact but not sure if I will finish it or even be able to go halfway. But yes, I have started reading more. All the best and enjoy the Bingo!
Shanaya Tales
Thank you so much, Uma. 🙂
#100BookPact – That is something I wish to accomplish some day – some other year though – when my kid has grown up a bit. Good luck with your goal. 🙂
Shanaya Tales recently posted…The books I picked for Bookish Bingo
Lata Sunil
Quite a list it is.. I ll also try out some of them. Looks like I missed your note on recommendations. I am getting attracted to the Bingo.
Shanaya Tales
Thank you, Lata. 🙂 Please feel free to use it. 🙂
Shanaya Tales recently posted…The books I picked for Bookish Bingo
BellyBytes
What a cool idea. It really helps to jot down your goals and this is a great idea. Are you going to make it a calendar or a game of Snakes and Ladders?
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Shanaya Tales
Nope, no snakes and ladders. Just checking off as I go. Will call out the completed rows and columns, and hopefully a complete Bingo by the end of the year. 😀
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Nidhi
Yeyyyyyy!!! My book recommendation made it to the list!!! So happy to see that. Will wait for the book review.
Shanaya Tales
I should be thanking you. I read the blurb, and it seems to be right up my alley. Such a find! Thank you. 🙂
Shanaya Tales recently posted…The books I picked for Bookish Bingo